Vanessa and I had been friends for years but our lives had taken different paths and it had been 12 months since I’d last spoken to her.  When I did, I discovered that she’d been going through hell and was wrought with despair for her teen daughter.  My heart ached for them both.  This is her story.

“I want to take away her pain but I don’t know how.  She’s 15 and she’s in tears again and it’s getting worse.  I’m her Mum and I’m concerned – very concerned.  She won’t go out with friends anymore, locks herself away in her room and I feel her withdrawing from us rapidly.

I thought I’d trace it back to when it really began and I guess it was around high school.  She moved into high school with a couple of friends from primary and they were best friends, spending weekends sleeping over.  They had great fun dressing up, doing hair, playing with makeup, listening to music, dancing and reading teen magazines, all the things teenage girls do.  None of them seemed to have boyfriends although they would chatter constantly about the cute ones in their classes all the time.  In the second year, one by one they each transitioned into womanhood as the hormones kicked in and the blemishes turned up.  Things began to change. 

They were nothing major, just a few blemishes and I just couldn’t see the big deal.  But it was a big deal for Jasmine and she insisted that she needed to cover them with makeup.  I agreed that she could wear a little and we went shopping for a few products from the supermarket.  She was happy again.

I’d like to say that that was the happy ending of the story, but it wasn’t.  Unfortunately, her blemishes transitioned into pimples, and then into acne and it began spreading through the t-zone and even down her neck.  Looking back I can see that the changes that had taken place over the past 3 years were enormous.  She’d began high school, discovered boys, was reading trashy magazines, had breakouts happening and was now comparing herself with other girls and the images she was exposed to in the magazines she was reading.  

Her self-esteem had plummeted and she was spiraling into depression and I knew it was the acne that was the main culprit.  We got her onto a product called Proactive which came highly recommended by doctors, we tried cephalexin and antibiotics but nothing appeared to work.  It continued to spread, red, raised and angry and we had to change makeup brands a couple of times to get a heavier coverage for her but the pimples would weep and the make-up would look crusty and very obvious.  I was out of ideas.”

When I heard her story, I cried.  How had so much happened and how could I have missed this?  I felt a little lousy as a friend but was sure I could help them.  I had a make-up workshop happening that week and insisted both Vanessa and Jasmine attend as my guests.  I sent them a link to an interview I did on the role the cosmetic industry plays in the rising epidemic of depression within our Teenagers for them to have a look at before attending the workshop, just something to open their minds – a bit of ‘food for thought.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMAlSHzshb4&t=5s

During the workshop I explained that NAS Cosmetics was designed to allow the skin to breathe, heal and function while still offering great coverage and the reason why chemical-based products don’t work, it fact, why they can actually make skin conditions worse!  The foundation colour matched Jasmines skin tone perfectly (something she’d always had trouble with) and the unique powder concealer hid the surrounding redness of the acne and didn’t look ‘cakey’ and obvious.  Containing a natural sunscreen, it would protect her skin and the magnesium and zinc in the products would feed and nourish her skin, nurturing it back to health.

To help repair Jasmines skin, we got her onto our ‘Dermal Remedygetting her to apply it prior to her makeup and to reapply it at night before bedtime.  The redness and inflammation settled within 24 hours and the healing process began. 

With her new range of natural, Australia & Safe make-up, her skin was glowing and healthy after just 4 weeks with only minimal visible signs of her acne remaining.  The best part however …. Jasmine grew strong and confident.  Her depression lifted and self-esteem grew.  Her friendships blossomed and her grades also improved.

It’s vital that we don’t suffocate our skin with toxic products.  There are several healthy alternatives on the market today.  It’s worth the time finding them.  For NAS Cosmetics, go now and BROWSE the site or BOOK a hands-on workshop in your own home with your friends and experience the difference TODAY!

Could this help someone you know?  Please share and/or leave your comments and thoughts below <3